Ladle stopper construction



Sept. 22, 1931. A, J, JACKMAN 1,824,019

LADLE STOPPER. CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 2. 1929 INVENTOR 'in place within the cavity 7 by contact be- 7 outlet 4 of the ladle is a stopper 5 having a the stopper. This rodabuts the top of the stopper and is connected therewith by means of. a pin 9 .having ahead 10lying within the cavity 7 the opposite extremity 11 of the pin entering a cavity in the rod 8 the two being connected together by nieansof a key 12. Although the rod proper-.as shown terminates above the s'topper'and is connected therewith by a pin. and key, the rod itself maybe so formed as vto extend through the stopper so that a portionof the rod, instead of the head of the pin, will be exposed at the bottom of the stopper. The word rod as used in the claims contemplates .either the rod itself or the pin connected therewith.

i Surrounding thestopper rod 8 above the stopper 5 is a series of protective refractory sleeves 13 for protecting the rod from the action of the molten metal within; the ladle. Therefore, every portion of the rod assembly isfprotected from'the action of the metal ex- .cept the head of the pin 10.

For protecting thehead of the pin l pro- .vide a preformed or pre-firedwedge member 14, adapted to enter the cavity 7 and to be firmly maintained in place therein and against the head of the pin. The. protective .memberlet comprises a cylinder the end faces of which are substantially parallel to each other but non-perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder. This construction provides for maintaining, the protective member tween its edges and the faces of the cavity. The protective member is inserted into the cavity bymoving it through the mouth thereof substantially in the direction of the axis of the protective-member, and after 'such member is within thecavityit is permitted to turn through a small angle so as to assume the positionshown in Figures 1 and 2. If the diameter of the mouth of the. cavity: be A, then the diameter of the protective member 14' is very slightly less than A to permit of movement of the protective member through the mouth of the cavity axially of the cavity andaxially of the protective member. After the protective member has entered the cavity-and its upper face contacts with the head.10- of the pin, the protective member will automatically be'turned by the relative action of such contacting parts to assume the-position shown in Figures 1 and 2 wherein itis in effect wedged against the head of the pin so as to pressupwardly thereagainst. Thecontactj of the edges of the protective member with the face of the cavity prevents the member from turning back into such a position as to permit it to drop out through the mouth of the cavity. Preferably the upper face of the protective member does not lie fiat against the head'of the pin but extends at a slight angle thereto, as shown, whereby a substantial stress exists, tending to maintain the protective member in place. This stress is imparted to] the member through the combined action of the pressure ofit against the head of the pin and the bearing of its'edges against the face of the cavity. Movement or jarring of thestopper, instead of loosening'the protective member tends to more tightly wedge it place so that there is no dangerof its dropping out. The protective member therefore serves as a substantially permanent and positive means for keeping the head of the stopper rod assembly. out of contact with the molten metal.

- Asthe protective member is being intromud. The mud assists somewhat in insur-' ingthat the protective member will not drop out, but the protective member is firmly wedged in place independently of the mud and therefore the latter actsmore in the capacity "of a sealing agent. In any event, when the preformed proteotive member is utilized a positive protection is provided which is not possible whenmud alone ,is used, as has heretofore been customary .in the art. Even if some of the mud drops" out the protective member and the. mud

above it will remain in place and effectively seal the head of thepin. 1

Figures 3 and 4 show modifications of the form of the protective member whereby means is provided for more firmly and securely keeping in place the mud which is inserted below the protective member. In Figure 3 there is shown a protective member 14 having in its lower face a tapered cavity v16, into which a'portion of the mud is inserted so that when the mud hardens it will beeffectively keyed .into the protective member which will prevent it from falling out.

A similar provision is shown in Figure 4 wherein there is a protective member 14" having on its lower face a tapered projection 17 for assisting in maintaining the mud in place. .The mud iswedgedbetween. op-

.posite sides of the projectiongfl and the fill up the spacesboth 1 present preferred embodiments of the in-- vention, the same isby no means limited to such embodiments but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: 7

1. A ladle stopper construction, comprising a stopper having a hole in its bottom, a rod connected therewith, and a preformed protective member for the extremity of the rod, said member having a cross-section in one direction less than that of the mouth of the hole whereby to be loosely insertable into such hole.

2. A ladle stopper construction, comprising a stopper, a rod connected with the stopper and having its extremity within the body of the stopper, and a preformed protective member for the extremity of the rod, said member being substantially smooth longitudinally and being slidable into the body of the stopper during assembly of the ladle stopper construction.

3. A ladle stopper construction, comprise ing a stopper, a rod connected there-wit-l and a preformed protective member pos tioned over the extremity of the rod, said stopper and member having longitudmally slidably interfitting parts whereby to be adapted to be slidably connected with one another during assembly of the ladle stopper construction. r

a. A ladle stopper construction, compr1s-' ing a stopper, a rod connected therewith,

and a protective member for the extremity of the rod and separate therefrom, such member and stopper having longitudinally slidably interfitting partswhereby to have wedging engagement with one another.

5. A ladle stopper construction,comprising a stopper, a rod connected with the stopper and terminating therein, and a wedge protective member for the extremity of the rod and separate therefrom and lying with-' in the stopper.

6. A ladle'stopper construction, comprising a stopper having a cavity tapering to increased size from the surface of the stopper inwardly, a rod connected with the stopper and terminating within the cavity, and a preformed protective member fortheextremity of the rod held in thecavity.

7. A ladle stopper construction, compris-o ing a stopper having a cavity increasing size from the surface of the stopper inwardly, a rod connected with the stopper and terminating within the cavity, and a protective member capable of entering the cavity in one position but adapted to be turned after enteringso as to be maintained in place therein. V

8. A ladle stopperconstruction, comprising a stopper having a cavity increasing in size from the surface of the stopper inward- 1y, a rod connected with the stopper and terminating withinthe cavity, and wedge protective means in the cavity whose size in one direction is only slightly smaller than the size of the mouth of the cavity, such means being adapted to assume a position across the cavity so as to be maintained in place therein.

9. A ladle stopper construction, comprislng a stopper having a cavity increaslng in size from the surface of the stopper inward- "IV a rod connected with the stoo er and terminating within the cavity, and a protective member whose size perpendicular to its longitudinal axis is less than the size of the mouth of the cavity but which when turned with its longitudial axis at a small angle to the axis of the cavity will be maintained in place therein.

10. A ladle stepper construction,comprising a stopper having a cavity increasing in size from the surface of the stopper inwardly, a rod connected with the stopper and terminating within the cavity, and a protective member in the formof a cylinder whose faces extend at an acute angle to the axis thereof and adapted'to enter the cavity.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ARTHUR J. JACKMAN. 

